Member of ASEAN Legal Alliance
Apisith & Alliance Ltd. is a uniquely-positioned, mid-sized Bangkok-based independent commercial law firm with excellent reputation and extensive international networks. The firm is recognized for its know-how and expertise in the areas of international trade, intellectual property, corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions and litigation/commercial arbitration.
The firm’s lawyers are highly experienced and recognized as experts in their focused areas of practices.
Our Commitment
Our commitment rests with our clients in providing practical and business related legal services to assist clients in navigating through local regulations and practices in Thailand. We listen to the needs of our clients, partner with them in their business by administering compelling legal and practical solutions to their requirements. In short, we are more than a legal adviser; we are a trusted adviser with deep understanding of local culture and legal knowhow. This commitment runs firm wide in all of our practice groups, where we maintain subject matter expertise in virtually all aspects of business-related laws and regulations, combined with our extensive experience in international practice as is accustomed by our clients.
You don’t have to be a huge law firm to think, act or be global. Through our international network of trusted law firms, our global fingerprints can be found everywhere
Corporate & Commercial
We provide basic, but essential, legal and company secretarial services to our domestic and foreign clients on a broad range of matters from setting up legal entities and drafting constitutional documents to the increase of capital and advising clients at board of directors’ and shareholders’ meetings. We also advise on more complex matters including shareholding restructuring, minority shareholders’ protection and directors liabilities.
Foreign Investment
We advise foreign clients on all relevant laws and regulations in relation to their investment strategy, as well as advising on appropriate investment structure including applying for a foreign business license or certificate or Board of Investment privileges.
Our services can be customized to match the clients’ specific requirements and circumstances. Moreover, as part of our one-stop service, our clients can tap into our local networks of selected commercial banks, financial advisers and audit/accounting firms for their business needs in Thailand
Mergers & Acquisitions
The breadth and depth of our merger and acquisition expertise is unparalleled. In support of our clients’ acquisition, merger, disposal or divestment strategies, we advise on the structure and transactions, drafting and negotiating the commercial agreements and transaction documents, and conducting legal due diligence.
Our clients encompass a wide range of industries. Representative industries include real estate, hospitality, textile, cosmetic, food, agro-industry, insurance and digital agency.
Renewable Energy
We advise domestic and foreign clients on the transactional and regulatory aspects of renewable energy in relation to clients’ investment, transactions and projects in Thailand and abroad. Our representative matters in this area include advising a leading global renewable power provider on the Thai government’s 800 MW ground-mounted solar farm projects for agricultural cooperatives and advising a large Chinese renewable energy group on proposed investment in waste to energy projects.
Capital Market/Securities & Investment Funds
We advise publicly listed companies, their financial advisers and asset management companies on Thailand’s securities laws and investment funds regulations. Our track record includes advising clients and financial advisers on SEC rules and regulations relating to IPO and acquisition and disposal of assets, as well as advising foreign asset managers on Thai investment funds regulations.
Expatriate Services
For over a decade, we have provided expatriate services of both inbound and outbound nature to our Thai and foreign clients. For our inbound services, we advise on applicable Thai laws and regulations in relation to immigration and work permit, including handling the process of obtaining a work permit and a long term visa for the expatriates and their dependents.
Our outbound services include applying for various types of visa and obtaining legalization documents from foreign embassies and consulates in Thailand for Thai nationals and foreigners living in Thailand to travel overseas for purposes of business, leisure or residence.
Employment & Labor
We provide a broad range of legal services to domestic and foreign clients on Thai labor and employment law matters. We are also experienced in contentious and non-contentious Thai employment matters.
On the non-contentious side, we have assisted clients in preparing and filing working regulations required under Thai labor law, conducting a review of staff handbooks/HR policies and employment contracts. Our firm works closely with clients to ensure that any termination or separation processes are smooth and thorough, with a view to minimizing disruption to their businesses.
Land/Property & Real Estate
We provide legal services on a broad range of property conveyancing of residential and commercial real estate transactions, including contract drafting, due diligence, negotiations, contract review, title insurance, the acquisition, disposal, lease and development of commercial properties for hotel, condominium or mixed-use property projects.
Representative matters include advising land owners on the acquisition and disposal of land, advising foreign developers on mixed-use projects in Bangkok and Phuket, and advising a leading global provider of outsourced workplace on commercial leases.
Our representative experiences in this area include:
- Acting as outside counsel to a well-known multinational serviced office company in providing legal advice, drafting of lease agreements and legal documents and assisting with registration of leases at land offices
- Acting for the reputable Hong Kong manufacturer in providing legal advice, drafting of legal documents and assisting with registration of leases at land offices in connection with land and infrastructure lease transactions
- Representing a buyer and advising, negotiating and preparing relevant documents for registration at a land office in connection with a land acquisition in Industrial Estate
- Representing lessors and lessees in connection with short-term and long-term land leases
- Representing sellers and buyers in connection with sales and purchases of condominium units
- Representing the beneficiary of usufruct agreement including advising and assisting at land office in connection with usufruct registration transaction
- Representing a global food and beverage company and venture capital firm to carry out legal due diligence relating to land acquisition and/or investment transactions
- Participating in Sansiri Global Agent Summit in 2018 as guest speaker on the topic of regulatory requirements for acquisition and lease properties in Thailand including relevant tax issues.
Regulatory & Licenses
We provide for our clients a range of advisory legal services in the area of regulatory compliance and license requirements.
We have extensive experience in obtaining on behalf of our clients diverse permits, licenses and certificates. This includes FDA license, BOI certificate, foreign business license and foreign business certificate, factory license, food storage license, accounting license and paperless customs.
Our representative experiences include :
- Providing legal advice/legal opinion on license and permit requirements
- Advising foreign wholly or majority owned companies to obtain foreign business licenses and foreign business certificates from Bureau of Foreign Business Administration, Ministry of Commerce
- Advising foreign wholly or majority owned companies and Thai companies to obtain the Board of Investment investment promotion for both tax and non-tax privileges for the following
- businesses: coil center, trade and investment support office, plastic manufacturing and scientific laboratory, as well as obtaining an amendment of significant particulars of BOI project
- Advising manufacturers to obtain factory licenses
- Advising importers on importation of consumer products into Thailand by obtaining import licenses and any relevant license and permit from Food and Drug Administration, Ministry
- of Public Health, including the amendment of FDA particulars
- Liaising with the FDA in relation to post-audit investigation of food products, including preparation of clarification letter to the FDA in response to the FDA’s investigation results
- Advising service providers in the restaurant and grocery store/department store businesses in Thailand to obtain restaurant licenses and food storage license including liquor licenses
Intellectual Property
Over the period of 15 years from our firm’s inception, we have acquired extensive experience and know-how in intellectual property law and practice. We have been entrusted by domestic and international clients to manage their intellectual property portfolios, including assisting with the planning and executing of global and regional intellectual property strategy.
We offer a comprehensive range of traditional and innovative legal services covering all areas of intellectual property rights, including trademark, patent, design patent and copyright.
Prosecution
- Obtaining and maintaining registered trademarks which include conducting all necessary searches, filing applications, defending objections by the examiner or oppositions by third parties, watch services and filing opposition, prosecution and
- registration proceedings and filing renewal of trademarks in Thailand and every foreign country. We also acted on behalf of our clients on the infringement case in Thailand and foreign countries
- Obtaining and maintaining registered patents (both international application – PCT and national phase) and design patents in Thailand and foreign countries. The services include conducting the prior art search and all necessary searches, filing applications, defending objections by the examiner or oppositions by third parties, prosecution and registration
- Copyright recordation and enforcement
- Drafting, negotiating and reviewing of intellectual property licensing agreement, assignment agreement, distribution agreement, agency agreement, technology transfer agreement, nondisclosure agreement and other types of intellectual property agreements
- Working closely with our foreign IP associates and firms within our networks, supervising enforcement of clients’ intellectual property rights in foreign countries and jurisdictions
Due diligence
Advice on and implementation of due diligence review/audit of intellectual property rights in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances.
Enforcement & Investigation
Enforcement including pre-litigation, negotiation and litigation of trademarks, patents, copyrights and other intellectual property matters before administrative authorities and courts, including the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court. Our firm has carried out an investigation procedure for various trademarks in Thailand on behalf of our clients and an enforcement procedure of registered industrial designs in foreign countries on behalf of our Thai clients.
Dispute Resolution
We handle and advise on settlement of dispute arising in trade, intellectual property, and business and commercial transactions in courts (including the Central Court of Intellectual Property and International Trade), arbitration forum, or during pre-trial. Working closely with our intellectual property lawyers, our litigators have advised and represented clients to negotiate with software brand owners, including the Business Software Alliance, in numerous cases resulting in substantial reductions of software purchase prices and penalties. Our litigators are also experienced in criminal prosecution (as co-plaintiff with public prosecutors) and defense of white-collar crimes and fraud cases. In addition, we assist and represent our clients in international disputes outside Thailand through our affiliated firms and a wide network of experienced litigators outside Thailand.
Trade & Customs
We offer a complete range of contentious and non-contentious trade remedies/WTO and international trade services, including hands on advice and representation of Thai and foreign clients in antidumping investigations and other trade remedy actions, advice on rules of origin, duty refunds and other customs law matters. Our lawyers and analysts have extensive experiences in virtually every type of trade remedies and non-trade remedy trade issues.
In order to protect our clients’ best interests in trade remedy investigations initiated by foreign governments, we usually cooperate with our preferred foreign legal advisers in the countries in which our clients are subject to investigations. The foreign legal advisers in our exclusive network are highly experienced and recognized trade experts in their jurisdictions. In our experience, we have found that this collaborative approach to client advocacy is conducive to successful outcome for the clients. To date, we have cooperated successfully with legal advisers and/or trade experts in the United States, the European Union, China, India, Brazil, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Australia and Indonesia. Subject to
confidentiality and our clients’ requirements, we can provide a list of the trade remedy investigations that our firm and/or our lawyers have been involved in, either in foreign government investigations or investigations by Thai government, upon request.
Our representative works:
- Representing foreign and Thai clients in more than 100 antidumping and safeguard investigations initiated by investigating authorities in virtually every major jurisdictions including the United States, The European Union, Canada, China, Brazil, India and Thailand
- Representing Thai domestic industries (steel, textile, chemical and automotive parts) in antidumping and trade remedy actions filed against imports and advising the industries on strategy, action plan and implementations of the import relief measures
- Advising, monitoring, reporting and representing clients on the relevant government activities, latest legislation and trends in Thailand and other ASEAN countries, including on such issues as tariff restructuring, free trade agreements and non-tariff measures such as product standards
- Advising on lobbying strategy on behalf of industries vis-á-vis senior-level government officials on matters such as free trade agreements, interested parties’ issues in antidumping investigations and Thaiindustries’ interests in foreign trade remedy proceedings
- Analyzing and advising on the Thai and ASEAN rules of origin in connection with the substantial transformation issues for products and raw materials imported from neighboring countries
Our Global Networks
You don’t have to be a huge law firm to think, act or be global. Through our international network of trusted law firms, our global fingerprints can be found everywhere. Apisith & Alliance is able to provide legal services to our clients throughout Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa through our associated firms which are present virtually everywhere our clients are doing business.
Through our international networks of trusted law firms, our global fingerprints can be found everywhere
Apisith & Alliance is the Thailand member of ADVOC, an association of independent commercial law firms on every continent of the world. It was formed to meet the demand for quality transnational legal services. ADVOC Asia is a chapter of ADVOC. Apisith & Alliance is also the Thailand member of ASEAN LEGAL ALLIANCE (ALA), a legal network formed in November 2014 among well-established commercial law firms in Southeast Asia. We are pleased to offer our clients access to quality legal services in their key markets throughout the world.
Apisith & Alliance Team
The foundation of our success rests primarily on the character, talent and experience of our lawyers and professionals.
Apisith John Sutham
MANAGING PARTNER
john@apisithalliance.com
John’s legal practice and experiences are broad-based, covering a wide spectrum of international trade litigation (trade remedies), cross-border commercial transactions, foreign investment, capital market, real estate, investment funds and mergers & acquisitions.
John has been named as leading lawyer for Thailand by Chambers Asia-Pacific and as expert by Who’s Who Legal, among other professional recognitions. He has written and lectured extensively on topics related to international trade and business law and has taught at leading universities in Thailand.
Education & Qualifications
MBA, Solvay Business School, Free University of Brussels
JD, Fordham University School of Law
B.A., St. John’s University, New York
Member of New York Bar (since 1991)
Worawut Anupornwattanakij
Partner
corp3@apisithalliance.com
Worawut (Aui) has extensive experience advising private and public companies on a wide range of corporate matters, including obtaining foreign business licenses and relevant certificates from Ministry of Commerce and Board of Investment. He has represented clients on share and asset acquisition transactions in Thailand. He also has extensive experience in litigation matters in civil and criminal cases, bankruptcy and business rehabilitation cases, labor cases, and administrative cases.
Education & Qualifications:
LL.M., Business Law, Thammasat University
LL.B., 2nd Class Honor, Thammasat University
Thai Barrister at Law, Thai Bar Association
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Pattaravadee Kongcharoenniwat
Partner
ip2@apisithalliance.com
Pattaravadee (Dee) has extensive experience advising clients in all areas of intellectual property law, including trademark registration and prosecution, both in-bound and out-bound, as well as patent and patent design filings in Thailand and abroad. She also has expertise in IP advisory and IP transactional issues including due diligence, trade mark licenses and franchising.
Education & Qualifications:
LL.B., Assumption University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Kittima Punyaprapaporn
Partner
tr3@apisithalliance.com
Kittima (Kae) has extensive experience and expertise in the areas of antidumping and trade remedy investigations. Kittima is the team leader and a partner in the Trade & Customs
Practice, where she works closely with Apisith John Sutham on major trade remedy cases, advising the firm’s foreign and domestic clients on the technical, procedural and accounting issues.
Education & Qualifications:
MBA, University of Newcastle, Australia
B.ACC., University of the Chamber of Commerce
Language: Thai, English
Corporate & Commercial
Siriwasar Suwanjesda
Senior Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.M., Taxation, Thammasat University
LL.B., Thammasat University
Thai Barrister at Law, Thai Bar Association
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Siriwasar (Pleng) focuses on corporate & commercial laws, foreign direct investment (including Board of Investment and foreign business license), financial services and taxation. She ] has extensive experience advising and representing foreign clients, including, in particular, in the area of expatriate services
Wiyadathawin Luenchavee
Senior Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.M., Taxation, Assumption University
LL.B.,2nd Class Honor, Assumption University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Wiyadathawin (Dear) focuses her practice on corporate & commercial laws, foreign direct investment (including Board of Investment and foreign business license), capital market and securities, public company laws and regulations and taxation.
Piriya Wongcharoenkiat
Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.B., Thammasat University
Thai Barrister at Law, Thai Bar Association
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Piriya (Jai) works in the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group, where she focuses on commercial real estate and conveyancing and foreign investment.
Mukkharin Lawanlakkhana
Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.B., 1st class Honor, Assumption University
Language: Thai, English
Mukkharin (Muk) has expertise in the areas of corporate/M&A, regulatory, renewable energy and foreign investment. Muk also has considerable experience with legal research and advising litigation clients as member of the firm’s Litigation/Dispute Resolution Practice Group.
Navarat Pejarasangharn
Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.M., Business Law, Chulalongkorn University
LL.B., 2nd Class Honor, Chulalongkorn University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Navarat (Wan) works in the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group, where she focuses on corporate/M&A, regulatory and foreign investment.
Anongwan Praditwattanakul
Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.B., 2nd Class Honor, Chulalongkorn University
Language: Thai, English
Anongwan (Pin) is currently assigned to assist partners and senior lawyers in the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group.
Intellectual Property
Yuppharat Roikaew
Senior Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.B., Ramkhamhaeng University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Yuppharat (Pui) focuses her legal practice on all aspects of intellectual property law, mainly in the non-contentious trade mark, patent and patent design prosecution.
Kanitta Pawakranond
Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.B., Ramkhamhaeng University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Kanitta (Kuk) works in the areas of intellectual property law, focusing on trademark prosecution for the firm’s Thai and foreign clients.
Trade & Customs
Poowadon Jiaviriyaboonya
Senior Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.M., National Taiwan University
LL.B., 2nd Class Honors, Chulalongkorn University
B.A., Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English, Mandarin Chinese
Poowadon’s practice focuses on defending foreign and domestic clients in trade remedy investigations, including, in particular, antidumping investigations, as well as rendering advice on customs law and custom-related issues. When not practicing trade & customs, Pooh provides support to the firm’s Chinese clients in foreign investment and corporate & commercial matters.
Siriluk Deeying
Senior Consultant
Education & Qualifications:
MBA, Taxation, The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
B.ACC., The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
Language: Thai, English
Siriluk (Mo) practice focuses on international trade/ trade remedy practice, specifically, antidumping and trade remedy cost accounting and data analysis, working closely with the firm’s trade lawyers. Prior to joining Apisith & Alliance, Mo worked as senior accountant at international accounting, business advisory and consulting firms.
Varatut Suttirut
Associate
Education & Qualifications:
LL.M., International Trade Law, University of Essex
LL.M., International Property Law, Queen Mary University
LL.B., Assumption University
Member of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand
Language: Thai, English
Varatut (Tung) is currently assigned to assist partners and senior consultant/senior associate in the Trade & Customs Practice, focusing on antidumping trade remedy investigation.
Eakpatr Chinsawangwattanagul
Consultant
MBA, Assumption University
B.ACC., Accounting, Assumption University
Language: Thai, English
Eakpatr (Pat) works on international trade/trade remedy practice, specifically, on antidumping and trade remedy cost accounting and data analysis. Prior to joining Apisith & Alliance, Eakpatr worked as an assistant auditor at a well-known local audit firm.
